SLAUGHTERHAUS
“Slaughterhaus” is a fine art lenticular series based off of my personal experiences with a debilitating illness that led to frequent surgeries, and the comfort I was able to find in my bedroom. I showcased women who tend to take solace in their bedrooms, away from the traumas and tribulations of daily life.
Each lenticular print features a portrait of a woman in her bedroom juxtaposed with a still life photo of discarded slaughterhouse meat. The stark contrast of serenity with beautifully staged yet grotesque slaughterhouse meat encapsulates life with a disability; often suffering is married with creature comforts. This contrast also illustrates the impersonal nature of hospitalizations while patients are stripped of their independence.
The focus of my work generally revolves around the unease and isolation a woman feels living with a chronic health condition in a deeply patriarchal society that often misunderstands life with a disability.
I strive to showcase suffering; after all, it is something we will all endure. I use both film and digital photography along with alternative printing processes to give a subtle nod to advertising printing practices from my childhood such as lenticular printing.
PRESS
THE READER
“Spires balances a duality of the lives of women as well in her series “Slaughterhaus.” Upending traditional photography with movement and illusion, she delivers a story that uncovers the reality underneath and the imposed expectation on these women….. But, why is it so important to find the perfect vantage point to see these women? The need to label, identify and silo women into a category that makes us comfortable no matter if that allows for her comfort is a large part of what challenging these expectations is about.” -Melinda Kozel
This series has been shown at Hive Gallery in Downtown Los Angeles in July, 2018, and Petshop Gallery in May, 2019. Previously, it has been shown in a solo show at LA County Store and in a group show at Hive Gallery in Los Angeles, California. Prints for purchase are available here. For more information on this series and gallery booking info, please contact spires.danielle@gmail.com
